Sean Pompa, CFA
Research Analyst
KAR: 2021
Research Experience: 2016
International and emerging markets small cap portfolios
- MBA, University of California, Los Angeles
- B.S.B.A., Finance, West Virginia University
- B.A. Political Science, West Virginia University
- One-Year Certificate Program, Mandarin Chinese, Zhejiang University
- Research Analyst – Weitz Investment Management, Inc.
- Research Analyst – First Pacific Advisors, LP
- Associate National Bank Examiner – Office of the Comptroller of the Currency
What Do You Enjoy Most About Your Job?
The analyst role is multifaceted and combines a lot of my interests. One of the main goals is to find the best businesses around the world at attractive valuations, but to do that you have to approach the work like a business strategist, an investigative journalist, a forecaster, and an odds-maker, among other things. While it’s secondary to our bottoms-up process, covering international and emerging markets means you also have to be aware of where macroeconomic and geopolitical conditions are prone to deteriorate, remain stable, or improve and I really like that added layer of complexity.
What Do You Enjoy Most About Working at KAR?
I feel fortunate to work with a fun, collaborative group that shares an investing philosophy that mirrors my own. By focusing on business quality first and defining that term in a broadly similar way, I believe it helps us cut through a lot of the noise in the market, elevate the debates that we have on individual companies, and it improves the odds of long-term investing success. The philosophy is the north star, but as individuals on a team, we also have a lot of flexibility to keep improving the more granular aspects of the research process and decide what to prioritize our time on.
What Are You Involved in Outside of Work?
I enjoy anything related to the outdoors, traveling to new places, movies, cooking, and playing guitar.
This information is being provided by KAR for illustrative purposes only. Information contained on this site is not intended by KAR to be interpreted as investment advice, a recommendation or solicitation to purchase securities, or a recommendation of a particular course of action and has not been updated since the date of the material, and KAR does not undertake to update the information presented should it change. This information is based on KAR’s opinions at the time of the publication of this material and are subject to change based on market activity. There is no guarantee that any forecasts made will come to pass. KAR makes no warranty as to the accuracy or reliability of the information contained herein. The information provided here should not be considered to be insurance, legal, or tax advice and all investors should consult their insurance, legal, and tax professionals about the specifics of their own insurance, estate, and tax situations to determine any proper course of action for them. KAR does not provide insurance, legal, or tax advice, and information presented here may not be true or applicable for all investor situations. Additional information about KAR’s services and fees may be found in KAR’s Part 2A of Form ADV, which is available upon request or can be found at https://kayne.com/wp-content/uploads/ADV-Part-2A.pdf.